Attention Sports Fans: Kobe, AROD or Neither! What Is Your Choice?
Let the debate begin.
As I write this blog, Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez (AROD) can be on your team. Kobe is unhappy in Los Angeles and wants to be traded and AROD opted out of his contract earlier in the week — ooooops I meant in the middle of game four of the World Series and can be signed as a free agent.
Congrads! You are the owner of an NBA and MLB team! What do you do?
Some of Kobe’s awards and achievements are:
- 3-time NBA Champion
- 2-time Scoring Champion
- 9-time NBA All-Star: 1998
- 2-time NBA All-Star Game MVP
- 9-time All-NBA Selection
- 7-time All-Defensive Selection:
Here are some of AROD’s achievements from 2007
- Ranks 1st in AL in HR (54)
- Ranks 1st in AL in R (143)
- Ranks 4th in AL in OBP (.422)
- Ranks 1st in AL in OPS (1.067)
- Ranks 1st in AL in RBI (156)
- Ranks 7th in AL in BB (95)
- Ranks 1st in AL in SLG (.645)
AROD had a great 2007 and will be named MVP of the American League very shortly.
Yes both are GREAT players! Both are probably the best in their leagues! Let’s NOT debate that. The real question is, as an owner of an NBA and MLB team, which one–if any–do you want on your team?
For me……drum roll please…neither one.
Let me start with Kobe. He won three championships all with Shaq and then ran him out of town. He appears to be very fickle and will do the same thing for any other team he plays for. I don’t believe he makes people around him better and frankly probably loves and needs all the attention which means he is challenging in the locker room to have as a teammate.
Now AROD. Everyone forgets that AROD played with Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson — three great players that didn’t win a ring! Just think about all that has surrounded AROD in NY. He got into a fight with Varitek, slapped the ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s hand, and elbowed Dustin Pedroia while supposedly sliding into second base and then yells something as he is rounding the bases in Toronto. Each time he looked around the stadium and said, "Who me? What did I do?" Setting all that aside he is still a great talent, but in my opinion will NEVER win anything other than individual awards. He will not get a ring. He is the best player in baseball and now is about to play for his fourth team! You need to ask yourself why? Is he a good locker room guy? No idea since I am not an athlete but I would say no.
For me the decision is easy. In fact very easy — I wouldn’t trade for Kobe or sign AROD!
- What would you do?
I look forward to your comments.
November 5th, 2007 at 10:54 am
Ok, my immediate decision would be the same as yours, dump both, but I recently read an article that has helped me look at it in another way. Can’t remember the author, but it was on espn.com last week. I now take Kobe any day. He is a proven winner. His emotional outbursts are almost always made about the lack of team improvement. A-Rod’s are about him. Look, you need a superstar to win, and one who performs in the clutch is very hard to come by. Look at Kobe’s record in the clutch. Look at Lame-Rod’s. If you are going to pay one, pay the one who wins when it counts. For disclosures sake, I am a rabid Yankees fan and do feel a like bit scorned by Pay-Rod. More disclosure, I also love the Cowboys and have had really mixed feelings on TO. Of course, after last night, he can do no wrong. How ’bout them Cowboys?
A
November 5th, 2007 at 10:55 am
NONO to Arod- thank you very much- would rather keep Lowell
O
Have to ask Larry c about Kobe- right now he is a happy man -Re Celtics
November 5th, 2007 at 11:08 am
I think you have to take A-Rod. He is the best player in a game that requires individual performances. Kobe is a great player, but basketball is more of a team sport. It requires players to be smart with the ball and share. Kobe and A-rod are both great players and neither one makes their teammates better, but baseball doesn’t require that as much as basketball.
A-Rod will be known as the greatest baseball player of the modern era. He will pass Barry’s record and many others if he stays healthy. He plays every game and he plays hard (or shady, however you want to look at it). I believe he will get his ring, when he signs a $300million/9 year contract with the Boston Red Sox. Which will make that team even more unstoppable.
-Bryan
November 5th, 2007 at 11:32 am
Bryan,
Since I am a huge Red Sox fan - not sure how to respond. My gut is I hope they don’t do it. I hope they retain Mike Lowell and only negotiate with AROD to raise the price of the contract.
The Sox got two rings without him and can win many more if he doesn’t play for them. I still think there is something to this AROD curse!
Thanks for your comments.
Merrill
November 5th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
This is tough for me as I am a Yankee’s fan and a Laker’s season seat holder. Probably the best thing for everyone is for the Yankee’s to sign Kobe and for Scott Boras to pursue an Arod deal with the Laker’s. The Yankee’s are used to Kobe’s kind of craziness and the Laker’s are used to selfish players! (Shaq)
November 5th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
This was mentioned in today’s Boston Globe - I am still ON RECORD SAYING I HOPE THE RED SOX DON’T SIGN HIM:
ALEX RODRIGUEZ isn’t expected to be present at this week’s GM meetings, but his agent, Scott Boras, will be.
Rodriguez, who is reportedly TELLING CLOSE FRIENDS THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO PLAY FOR THE RED SOX, still can’t discuss money with other teams until next week. Boras wouldn’t want him to be in the room for face-to-face talks anyway. Boras is saying that he won’t go public with any negotiations. “Any discussions as to the contract terms is between the teams and ourselves,” Boras said. “It’s clear for all of us that we’re at the point now where we’ve got to do a lot of work with the teams involved and we’re going to keep the information and dialogue with the clubs private and confidential as we go forward.”
Merrill
November 6th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
As an LA person it is simple.
Kobe time to go and don’t pick him up his ego is bigger than his upside. Kobe and Shaq will some day realize that it was the three of them (Phil Jackson) that made the Lakers good. Non are as good on their own, with maybe the exception of Phil.
But, A-Rod please Dodgers pick him up and get Andy Pettit and then Joe Torre can coach them to playing in the next three series against the Red Sox and the Angels can back to calling themselves Anaheim. The world will be righted again and the best fans in baseball (Dodger fans) can have their reward.
November 6th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Ugh.
I would be supremely bummed out to see Rodriguez in a Red Sox uniform.
Especially at the price of losing Mike Lowell.
My professional sports knowledge is admittedly pretty marginal, but in my opinion, AROD, as good he may be, is clubhouse poison.
As to the original question, my answer would have to be neither.
The inability to truly be a team player can easily cripple whatever talent or gift you have.
-kath
November 6th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Merrill-
The Red Sox can have AROD if the Yankees can have Mike Lowell — and may I add — if the Red Sox organization let’s that happen they are out of their minds. I never thought of AROD as a curse until you brought it up — and I think you are right!
Pat
November 6th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Pat,
Strong comments - actually very strong comments considering your love for the Yankees. It appears that AROD has turned off lots of people. It will be interesting to see where he ends up. My hope no where near the east coast.
Merrill
November 6th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
I think part of the answer depends on which team I’m coaching.
If I’m coaching the RedSox, no way do I want A-Rod. I’m reminded of a time in the 90’s when the Sox were going to pick up Daryl Strawberry. There was a huge outcry from the fans and he wound up going to the Yankees.
On the other hand, if I’m coaching the Celtics, trying to get back to a regular playoff rotation, I might take a chance on Kobe. Here I’m reminded of when Mark Cuban bought the Mavericks and signed Dennis Rodman. Rodman was a head case, but he put butts in seats and started to bring attention to a team that had for the most part been ignored. He only lasted part of a season, but he served his purpose and the Mavericks started to become the team they are today.
November 13th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
On whether I would want either on my team as an owner, I would have to ask the question, Do I want to win titles or fill seats? Any owner that is trying to build championship teams should stay clear of both these “individuals”. Their salaries impact your ability to sign other players and they create division in the locker room. On the flip side, if I want to fill seats, both are tremendous draws for both home and away games. As a Cubs fan, I would love to see AROD at third. I have long ago given up hope that the Cubs will ever win a title, so the idea of at least knowing that he can turn a game around with one swing of his bat will keep me watching as we battle for third in the NL Central.
November 14th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Steve,
Thanks for your comments. You bring up a very interesting point. From a putting body into seats standpoints I think Kobe does that for sure. One reason is he can totally dominate a game much more than AROD can for the simply reason he can take 40 shots while AROD only gets up 4-5 times a game and if he is on a tear the other team can walk him. Also since NBA stadiums are much smaller Kobe can make an impact and does for sure. I love baseball more than basketball but would actually try and see Kobe play before I would AROD.
In addition I am not sure AROD really does put fans in the seats - maybe he does but I think he has turned lots of folks off because of some of the stuff he has done for some reason Kobe is getting more pf a pass from my standpoint.
I love the Cubs - since they are almost always sold out not sure he adds much to the attendance but wow what a lineup they would have.
Again thanks for your comments.
Merrill
June 18th, 2008 at 6:48 am
I thought I would share some additional comments since the Kobe led Laker’s were knocked out of the NBA finals last night.
I am sorry blown out last night, destroyed last night. The Laker’s lost the final game of the NBA season by 29 points! Yes 39 points that is the largest margin of victory in the final game of the playoffs in the history of the NBA.
Sorry guys Kobe is a GREAT individual player - I still believe he would not have won anything without SHAQ and will NEVER win another NBA championship. What is amazing to me is that there are long stretches of lots of games that Kobe disappears including a number of games in this NBA finals. Great team players don’t do that!
I still wouldn’t trade for him!
Merrill